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Old farm could become county's largest RV park

Amenities include an 18-hole golf course and a clubhouse with bowling, but the land must be rezoned.

By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Published September 18, 2005

INVERNESS - The Eden family's citrus grove once dotted a 207-acre stretch south of State Road 44 E.

Aerial photographs of the former farm show row after row of trees, county environmental planner Sue Farnsworth said.

Now, county planners are considering a proposal that would line the lakefront landscape 3 miles east of Inverness with row after row of recreational vehicles, creating what would be the county's largest RV park.

John Eden IV, who owns the property through his company New Horizon Funding Inc., did not return a call requesting comment. But according to an application submitted to county planners this month, the proposed "upscale" park could include as many as 1,100 RV pads divided into gated neighborhoods.

The design also features numerous amenities, including an 18-hole executive golf course, a canoe launch, a boat ramp, trails for pedestrians and bicyclists, a general store and a 15,000-square-foot clubhouse with a swimming pool, tennis courts, bowling and a theater.

The land, which sits just east of Lost Pond Lane, was assessed at $586,400 by the property appraiser in 2004.

County planners and local RV enthusiasts said that, in addition to being the largest park in the county, the project would be the first large-scale luxury RV park here. There are fewer than a dozen RV parks and about 1,900 RV spaces in Citrus County. The largest parks have 300 to 400 hookup sites.

The first phase of Eden's proposed park would top that at 499 units.

But before developers break ground, they must get county approval to rezone the property from low intensity coastal lakes to recreational vehicle park. That will require changes in the county's comprehensive plan and land development code. The Planning and Development Review Board must review the request; the County Commission will have the final say.

Because the project would eventually involve more than 500 units, developers must also go through the extensive approval process required of a "development of regional impact."

That means development won't begin until next year at the earliest. Meanwhile, county staffers are reviewing the application to prepare for an October planning board meeting.

The property includes 21.5 acres of wetlands, which usually raises a red flag to county planners - particularly with a project of this scale.

"Whenever you're close to a wetland there's concern about wetlands," Farnsworth said. "But this plan appears to be treating the wetlands well."

The developer will receive sewer service and potable water from Inverness, Farnsworth said, relieving one of her chief environmental concerns.

Farnsworth said the developers also built Deer Creek RV Golf Resort, a similar RV park about 80 miles away on U.S. 27 in Davenport.

That park, which sits on more than 200 acres, has 500 full RV hookup sites, 164 campground sites and an expansion with 234 RV sites in the works, property manager Dewanna Moore said. Lot prices there range from $17,200 to $124,900.

The Davenport park also features an 18-hole golf course and a million-dollar clubhouse with a restaurant.

But unlike at Deer Creek, where Moore said about 20 percent of residents stay year-round, residents of Citrus County's RV parks can stay a maximum of 180 days and cannot build permanent structures.

"When a storm comes, we want them evacuated," Farnsworth said. "And if the area floods, we want them out of there."

Luxury RV parks that have tennis courts, golf courses and health spas are becoming increasingly popular, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.

And so are luxury RVs.

While on the low end, folding camping trailer costs start out at about $4,000, the most upscale motor home models cost about $1.4-million.

RV ownership has reached record levels, according to the association, and nearly one in 12 U.S. homes with cars owns an RV, too, spurring an annual $14-billion industry.

Keith Mangrum, manager of Gist RV Sales & Service in Inverness, said he would be happy to see business increase with the arrival of a much-needed RV park on the county's east side.

He said snowbirds often want to park in Citrus County but can't find a spot and continue on to parks in Zephyrhills.

"We need more parks in this county to draw more tourism," he said.

Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at 352 860-7309 or cshoichet@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 18, 2005, 02:15:36]